Worth



(N0 Moder.)

M. W. HOLLINGSWORTH. UATAPHORIG ELECTRODE SUPPORT.

Patented Mar. 29,

ENTOR 1 [I 44 I! D n I WITNESSES:

ens cu. PHLrruumo" WASHINGTON u c NITED STATE PATENT FFICEEL.

MERRILL W. HOLLINGSWORTH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR TO THE S. S. WHITE DENTAL MANUFACTURING COM- PANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CATAPHORlC-ELECTRODE SU PPO RT. 7

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,396, dated March 29, 1898. Application filed November 24, 1897. Serial No. 659,664. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, MERRILL W. I-IoLLINGs- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements in Cataphoric-Electrode Supports; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to supports for cataphoric electrodes for use by dentists; and my object is to provide an improved support for this purpose that may be readily applied within the mouth of a patient and securely held in position upon the teeth therein and that will firmly support cataphorio electrodes and at the same time admit of a very Wide range of applicability and adjustment of said electrodes within the mouth.

My improvements will be hereinafter fully described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims at theend of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred manner of embodying my improvements, Figure l is a view in elevation of my. improved electrode-support complete, showing it in position upon teeth indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a view, 011 an enlarged scale, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of the support complete. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the clamp of the support, showing in cross section the wedge bar which closes the jaws thereof.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the operating side of the said clamp, and Fig. 5 a similar view of the opposite side thereof. Fig. 6 is a perspective view, on a still larger scale, of the electrode-holder detached. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of the electrode proper detached. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the detached flexible coupling between the electrode and its electric conductor.

jaws and allow of their being freely rocked I on their pivots toward and away from each other. The jaws on one side of their pivotal connection with the connecting-piece are suitably tapered or pointed to form the operating end of the clamp, and their inner or opposing edges 0!, are wedge shape or reduced to a knifeedge to enable them to be inserted between two adjoining teeth and forced between the same in order to firmly secure the clamp in position, the connecting-piece also serving to limit excursion of the jaws relatively to the gums by resting upon the cusps of the teeth. On the opposite side of their pivotal connection with the connecting-piece the jaws at A are constructed in such a way as to cross or lap each other, and the' connecting-piece is curved or bowed in a direction toward the operating side of the clamp, thus providing a depressed or concave surface on that side next the lapping ends of the jaws. In this way a triangular opening is formed by the depressed side of the connecting-piece and the inner edges of the lapping jaws A this triangular opening being designed to receive the correspondingly-shaped wedge-bar B. This wedge-bar is triangular in cross-section and tapers from its outer end, to which the electrode-holder is connected, toward its inner end and when inserted in the triangular opening of the clamp forces the pointed operating ends of thejaws toward each otherto tion of the electrode-holder is adapted to fit.

in a split metallictube D, forming one mem' ber of an adjustable connecting-piece, the

other member E of which is connected to the outer end of the wedge-bar B. The split tubular member D of the adjustable connectingpiece is provided with perforated ears DD, which are pivoted between earsE E of the other memberE of the adjustable connectingpiece. The member E of the adjustable connecting-piece is also tubular and split or slotted, as indicated by dotted lines 6, Fig. 2, and the outer or larger end of the wedge member E of the adjustable connecting-piece,

j which fits upon the rounded portion of the wedge-bar. A headed screw F passes loosely respective members of the connecting-piece and is held from turning in said ears by means of a small pin or lug f on the. head of the screw entering a hole in the ear E,against which the head of the pin abuts. The screw F serves as the pivotal connection between the two members of the connecting-piece and. projects beyond the ears, and a clamp-nut G works thereon to .1 clamp the ears E111 and D D together. This construction is such that the connecting-piece may be turned or rotated on the wedge-bar, the member D of said connecting-piece rocked about its pivotal connection with the other member of said connecting-piece relatively to the longitudinal axis of thewedge-bar, and the electrodeholder and the electrode carried thereby be turned relatively to the member D of theconmeeting-piece, and the electrode turnedrelatively to its holder and also is adjustable endwise therein. The springy construction of the connecting-piece and electrode-holder,

it will be seen, enable the parts to be simultaneously and firmly clamped together in any position to which they may be adjusted by simply tightening the clamp-nut G.

The application and operation of my improved electrode-support may be describedas follows: When it is desired to treat a tooth cataphorically, as will readily be understood by those familiar with the art, the jaws of the. interdental clamp A are inserted between any two teeth in the mouth, preferably between bicuspid or molar teeth, which shouldbe some distance from the tooth to be treated-for instan'oe,.on the opposite side of the archalthough this is not necessary. The smaller or inner end of the wedge-bar is then inserted in the triangular opening of'the clamp and pushed in it to force the lapping ends of the jaws apart and the operating ends of the jaws toward each other until the said jaws have become wedged or jammed between the teeth with sufficient tightness to hold the clamp The electrode may now be.

firmly in place. adjusted, ashereinbefore explained, to cause its bent end to come in contact with absorbent cotton saturated with a suitable obtundcut, with which cotton the cavity of the tooth to be treated is filled, and the electrode firmly held in this position by tighteningthe nut G. I 1 The current will pass from battery J, by Way of conducting-wire K and flexible coiled-wire a coupling I, to the electrode I-I,through the tooth being treated, then by way of the pa v tients body, through negative hand-electrode E L and conducting-wire M, back to battery to complete the circuit. the electrode-holder is made. of non-conduct- Owing to the fact that ing material, a thorough insulation is effected 1 between the electrode proper and itssupport. bar is reduced in diameter and rounded and slightly tapered at b to receive the tubular From the above description it will be seen that my improved cataphoric-electrode support may be easily and quickly secured in the month by means of the interdental clamp,

that the electrode carried by the support is through the perforated ears E and D of the susceptible of a very wide range of adjust- .ment in all directions to enable it to reach any exposed part of any tooth in the mouth, .and that after being so adjusted it may be quickly and firmly locked by means of a sin- 3 gle clamping devicenamely, the nut G. It .will further be seen that thesupport, when adjusted in proper position in the mouth, 00-

cupies but little space between the jaws of the patient, whereby it does not necessitate the opening of the patients jaws to any consid- 'erablev extent and the patient is not caused any discomfort by reason of the support being in his mouth, that the position of the I support, and electrode carried thereby is not interfered with or its adjustment disturbed by movement of thepatientsjaws, and that the application of therubber dam is not inj terfered with, but may be applied as usual. Y It should be observed that the wedgebar serves as the means for operating the clamp and also as the means for supporting the electrode through the medium of its holder and the connecting-piece, thereby facilitating the application of the clamp and the adjustment of the electrode to the teeth.

The flexible coupling I, it will be seen,-not

ment or Vibration of the conducting-wire from being transmitted to the electrode and its support, whereby the electrode and its support are not strained by movement or vibration of said conducting-wire, as would bethe case were the coupling rigid.

Obviously the details of construction of my improved support may be varied without departure from my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described, and, furthermore, the particular interdental clamp may be used in connection with other forms of electrode holders and supports, and the particular electrode holder and support may be used in connection with any other form of clamp that will serve to support the holder in the mouth. 7

I claim as my invention- 1. In a cataphoric-electrode support, the combination of the interdental clamp, means for operating said clamp, and an electrodeholder adjustably connected to said means, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

site ends of said jaws arranged to cross or lap each other and form atriangular opening between the lapping ends of said jaws and the said connecting-piece, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4. In a cataphoric-electrode support, the combination of a clamp adapted to be secured in the mouth, means for operating said clamp, a connecting-piece having turning connection with said means for operating the clamp and consisting of two members pivoted together,

an electrode-holder having turning connection with one member of the connecting-piece, an electrode adj ustably connected to the holder, and means for simultaneously clampin g the connecting-piece, the electrode-holder and electrode in any position to which they may be adjusted, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a cataphoric-electrode support, of the electrode carried thereby, and the flexible coupling connected to said electrode, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

, MERRILL W. HOLLINGSWORTH.

W itnesses;

G. HERBERT JENKINS, THEODORE B. VAILL. 

